Wow. Twice in one week!

I know. I just blogged yesterday, but I'm in the mood to write and I have some time.  I've been at home all day because I have been feeling a little under the weather with a low-grade fever.  I'm hoping it will go away soon since I have to work tomorrow morning.  Ryan has been taking care of me for the past few days.  Anway, I'm sitting here curled up in my heavy blanket with Butch, who is sound asleep with his head resting on the arm of the couch.  I got online to get some inspiration.  I have a memoir due next week, but I have had very little inspiration, so I decided to look over some of my blogs and some of my mom's blogs hoping that maybe something will spark my eye.  It's always been pretty easy to write a blog, which in reality are just short memoirs.  The hard part about this particular assignment is that we have to incorporate various quotes that have caught our eye in our reading assignments.  Most of the quotes that I have picked are due to some bitter senitments that I feel are not worthy of writing a memoir over, but I won't elaborate on it.  Either way, writers' block sucks. 

So some other things that have been happening in life that may not be as big as in my last post.  Well, life has currently been filled with school and work.  If I'm not at school, then I'm at work.  If I'm at neither, then I'm probably torturing myself be sitting through meetings in which I have no speaking rights, watching TV that I have recorded because I'm too busy to watch the show live, or sleeping.  Lately at work they have been decorating for Christmas.  There are currently, since I've been in the hotel, 6 Christmas trees set up, and I have heard that there will be more!  I've never seen the Carnegie during Chistmas time, but I'm sure it will be beautiful.  Many of you might be asking yourself, isn't Jillian the one who can't stand to see anything Christmas before Thanksgiving?  Well, yes, that hasn't changed, but in this case I have no control.  :)  Besides, I'm ready for a little cheer in my life.  Who knows, when I gain a little strength maybe I'll start decorating the house for Christmas. 

For family that I haven't talked to recently, I turned in my medical school application.  After some long, tedious hours I have turned it in.  I'm waiting now.  I don't really know what is worse: filling out the application or waiting for a reply and hoping not to get that dreaded rejection letter.  Unfortunately, I have had a little bit of a pessimistic outlook on life recently.  I'm hoping for things to look up.  In the mean time, I am currently working on my application to osteopathic medical schools, thinking about a masters program that ETSU offers, TFA, and a potential job opportunity with PSP.  Who knows what is to come.

Anyway, I think that is all for now.  Sorry for kinda the gloomy, boring post.  I'm just bored.  If anyone has some ideas on what I should write about for my memoir, just leave a comment!  ;)

Catch Up

Ok.  So I'm still a slacker.  Oh well, at least I will be able to elaborate on just about everything that I listed in a previous post, so bear with me. :)

1) Posts about Fall Break
     Fall Break was fantastic.  I was able to get off work for a few days and go to Gatlinburg with Mom, Dad, Christie, Alex, and Ryan.  We had sooo much fun.  The cabin was wonderful.  The weather was pretty nice.  We did the usual and walked about the Gatlinburg strip.  We also went to a gun range to practice some shooting.  My favorite part of the whole break, other than getting to spend time with family and friends, was the food!  I missed Daddy's Filipino food and Ryan's grilling and Mom's desserts!  Hopefully we will get to get away again soon.

2) Posts about the fabulous new friends I have made in the past few months
     These friends would have to be from POLO.  I have made several amazing friends over the past few months.  This past Preview, I have gotten closer with several of the older leaders.  Even though I missed my co-leader, Shawn, very much, we still had a great Preview.  It's been great.  Since I went inactive from PSP, I have been able to spend more time doing things with POLO.  On Thursday, we have our Thanksgiving dinner, so maybe I will be able to put up some pictures from that!

3) Posts about Grey's Anatomy and Private Practive
     There's not much to say about it.  The Writers' blog has been less than, how do I say it nicely, entertaining this year.  Grey's Anatomy has been better the last couple of episodes, but the first few of the season were rough.  I have really enjoyed Private Practice though.  It's more like the original Grey's in terms of plot.  Remember it comes on tomorrow!!!

4) Posts about Halloween parties
     Ryan and I had a Halloween party on the night of Halloween.  We had a great turn out.  We had a lot of fun chatting, watching scary (and one not so scary) movies, and eating food.  We had some great decorations.  We had so much fun that we hope to host another party around Christmas time (hint, hint: Ugly Sweater/Secret Santa Christmas Party.  This idea came from some of my POLO friends last year.)

5) Posts, hopefully, about some amazing day trips
     Unfortunately, I have not been able to get away long enough to do some day trips.  Maybe sometime soon.  :(

6) Posts about my first true experience camping
     Again, no time.

7) Posts about the brilliant colors that the leaves display
     This year, the leaves changed after fall break.  It was pretty.  I think the leaves and the colors were prettier in previous years, but they were still nice!  Since Ryan and I live where there are lots of trees, there are leaves all around the house.  Many of them are bright yellow.  They are huge!  I haven't taken any pictures, but I know there are several on Facebook.  :)

8) Posts, well maybe just a mentioning, about a special license I'm about to receive!
     Well, I haven't had the money to do that yet.  :(

9) Posts about family updates!
     Mom is doing well.  She has been very busy working on the new catalog for her job.  Dad is doing well also.  He seems to be staying busy too.  You should look at Mom's blog to see what they have been up to.  They have had great fun with the fall leaves.  Christie is doing well.  I am sooo excited to get to see her in about a week.  She turns 20 on Saturday!  This makes me feel old.  Well, I have felt old since the beginning of the semester, but we won't go into that. ;)

10) Posts about Butch updates!
     Butch has been doing well.  He has loved all of the extra company that we have had over at the house.  A couple of weeks ago we had a little incident with our neighbor's son's pitbull.  When Ryan was walking Butch one morning, he saw the pitbull.  Well, Butch thinks he's a very larger Rotweiler, which obviously he's not, and decided to jump up to play with the pit bull.  Well, the playing lead to a bite that left a gash on Butch's should.  It looked more gruesome that it actually was, but we took him to the vet anyway.  With a little pain medicine and some anitbotics, he is healing well.  :)

11) Updates on how school is going
     School is almost done!  ;)  I have gotten to that stage where I am ready for new classes.  I have enjoyed these and I'm ready for new ones.  Next semester I will be taking Vertebrate Embryology, Animal Physiology, Philosophy of Art, and Writing/Literature/Technology.  I'm really looking forward to it.

12) Posts about Homecoming
     I had a lot of fun for Homecoming.  I participated with two groups.  The first event that I participated in was co-ed flag football with PSP.  It was so much fun, even though we were badly beaten.  The next event that I got to participate in was dodgeball with POLO.  It was so much fun.  We made it to the third round!  The last event was Homecoming King and QUeen campaigning for POLO.  Johnny, our POLO representative got Homecoming Prince!

13) Posts about anything! (I'm ending on this number because it is my favorite number! I know I'm weird, but if you would like to put it this way, it's Halloween season!)
     Well, I am officially caught up for now.  These are going to be a hectic few days.  I have to write a memoir, a video summary, and a manuscript for Cell Bio due next week.  I have a test next week too.  Hopefully, nothing else will come up soon.  Well, next time...maybe if I write a list then maybe I'll stick to the blogging...Thanksgiving dinner x3 (POLO, PSP if I decide to go, and the real one at home), trip back home, work, and the Ugly Sweater party!

Until then!

See I told You

See!  I posted that I would be better about writing a blog. ;)  Let's see how well I keep up with it this time.

Not too much going on this week.  I had a couple of tests, physics and cell biology.  One was fairly easy and the other, well, we will see on Tuesday.  :-/  Anyway, I do have a busy week ahead of me.  Well, kind of.  On Tuesday, I will officially have a Grand Little, when he receives his pin.  (I think it's Tuesday.   Don't freak out, Cade, if it's not Tuesday.)  His Big is soo excited and so am I because I get a Grand Little!!! I know some of you guys don't quite understand what's going on, just know that it is a fraternity thing.  Pictures will be posted later on! 

This weekend is when the fun begins.  On Friday, I have a wedding to go to.  My friend from the health clinic, Allyson, is getting married!!!!!!!!  I have heard wonderful things about her fiance and on Friday I will finally get to meet him.  It's a formal wedding, so I get to go dress shopping sometime this week.  ;)  Pictures from the wedding will be up sometime later too.  On Saturday, one of my little's, Carrie, is getting married!  Unfortunately I will be out of town, but I have already seen her dress and I know the wedding will be stunning!  I am soo excited for the both of them.  I wish them the best of luck!

This weekend, after I attend Allyson's wedding, I will be heading out with Ryan to Gatlinburg.  I will then meet my family there.  We don't really have any plans, but we do have a cabin there.  I am really excited about it.  There will be a lot of family time, great food, and a few surprises. ;)  Again, pictures will be posted later.  (Can you tell I'm going to try and work on my whole picture taking too? lol).  Anyway, that's all for now! 

What's to Come

Ok, now that I've updated the past three months of my life in the span of a few hours let's let the past be the past. October first. Here in Johnson City the weather is beautiful, or so I've heard. Fall is in the air. As some Preview leaders say fall air, the crisp leaves, the smell of new sweaters and hot chocolate are some of their favorite smells. I have not experienced them first hand yet because I have been couped up in the house due to the illness that almost every one of my co-workers have had. Today should be the last day. No fever, less nausea, a little bit stronger, almost over it. Hopefully I'm over it. So anyway, what's to come...

1) Posts about Fall Break
2) Posts about the fabulous new friends I have made in the past few months
3) Posts about Grey's Anatomy and Private Practive
4) Posts about Halloween parties
5) Posts, hopefully, about some amazing day trips
6) Posts about my first true experience camping
7) Posts about the brilliant colors that the leaves display
8) Posts, well maybe just a mentioning, about a special license I'm about to receive!
9) Posts about family updates!
10) Posts about Butch updates!
11) Updates on how school is going
12) Posts about Homecoming
13) Posts about anything! (I'm ending on this number because it is my favorite number! I know I'm weird, but if you would like to put it this way, it's Halloween season!)

Anyway, thanks to all that read my blog! Hope you enjoy. I promise that I will keep up with it! ;) (I know I always promise that, but maybe I'll actually keep it this time.) Leave me comments with questions, comments, what you think about my post, etc. It makes me feel good inside to know that someone out there is reading this! ;)

P.S. I saw up close 3 members of the Fray and actually talked to one of them, and NO I wasn't at the concert and I didn't see them on campus. ;)

September

Oh, September! One of the busiest months. Well, for me it seems like almost all of the months are busy. lol. The first weekend of September was awesome! Ryan and I got on a plane and headed to Destin where we would meet up with Christie, Mom, Dad, Grandmama, Uncle Wayne, and Shelley. I hadn't been to Destin since Paw Paw died, so it was quite a trip down memory lane. We ate at the Back Porch where almost all (Christie decided to be the odd ball) of us ordered the amberjack sandwich. YUM! We ate the cheese puffs at the Lucky Snapper. And of course, we spent several hours at the beach. Mom and I, as usual, got sunburned while Christie evened out her tan. This trip was about Grandmama. She had a blast! It was great to see her happy and in great spirits. Hopefully we can do this again.

Toward the beginning of the month, I made one of the biggest decisions that I will probably have to make the entire semester. I know many of you have heard that I am part of Phi Sigma Pi National Honor Fraternity. I have had many great memories and I have several amazing friends that I would not have met if it weren't for this organization. Well, the weeks leading up to school starting were rough. The week that I came back as an Active Member (the week after Labor Day) was awful. The next week I decided to go inactive. It was the hardest thing I had to do. I felt as though a step back from the drama (that I'm still being dragged into) and disrespect would be one step forward to an awesome senior year. I still have been working with the Initiate committee and participating in some service events, such as the Backpack Attack for Teach for America, but I hope to fully participate next semester. Let's just see how things go the rest of this one.

September for the most part has been school and work. Full time student with a full time job. Not too shabby. There has only been one crazy moment in September. Last weekend, on Saturday, I received a phone call around 11:30 AM, but I was in a class so I couldn't answer it. After getting out of class, nearly 5 hours later, I checked and my sister had called. Well, Ryan said she called him too. This was out of the ordinary. Most of the time when people call me and Ryan something is wrong. I called her and she picked up. I asked her what was wrong. "Um...um...I-I-I...um," she answer. "Ok. You can spit it out now. What's wrong?" I replied. "I-I-I'm..m..m..in..th-th-the hos-pit-al,"she stuttered. I broke down into tears. My bubbly, talks-a-lot sister, was stuttering for a reason I didn't understand. She slowly said she hit her head and that she was frustrated because she had so much to say but couldn't because it took too much effort. It all made sense to me why she called me, why Mom texted for me to call her when I got out of class and why she and Dad didn't pick up the phone when I called them back (they were on a plane headed to Tampa). "Pl-ple-please, do-don-don't cry," she begged, but i couldn't help it. I told her I would call her back so I could gain some composure. Here I was hundreds of miles away from my sister and at least 2 hours away from my computer (I was in Rogersville at the time) to search for the next flight out to Tampa from the hole-in-the-wall Tri-Cities airport! As hours passed by I got word from Mom and Dad that they were there and that she was okay. The next day she seemed to be doing better. I can't remember off of the top of my head, but she was discharged that day (or maybe the next). I've talked with her a few times since then and she seems to be doing well, other than a massive head and neck ache, which makes sense. So, if you were wondering about what was going on, now you know. Mom's blog has a little different perspective. I can't wait to see her later on this month! Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers as she heals. :)

August

August was a busy month. At the beginning of the month, I found that Christie was coming home, so I went home too! We had a great time. Great food, great shopping, and great company! One night we ate out with Grandmama, Uncle Wayne, and Shelley. It was Asian cuisine, and I thought it was okay, but we all enjoyed having dinner together once again. Daddy and Mommy took off work to hang out with Christie and me. It was nice. We went shopping all over the place. We got a few things for school and some other knick knacks. Above are some pictures from that week. Can you tell that our family loves Marble Slab and Red Robin?? Look how long my hair is in the first picture! Can you tell Christie has spent way too long in Florida by her tan (Gosh, Christie!). It was probably the greatest week of that month.

A week before school started, I received another week off; however, it is not how most people spend the week off. During that week, I began my final training as a Preview Leader. It was so much FUN!!! It was great to hang out with friends who I hadn't seen in forever (Kirsten, Scott, Johnny, my Co, Shawn, Ellen...) Although there was much time spent sitting through presentations, long hours of dance and skit practice, and eating Main Meal, I had a lot of fun. I got closer to several people that I would expect to. I was one of the leaders of Group 2. The students were great. I haven't seen many of them since school started, but I hope to get together with them soon! (I'm trying to get a date so we can grill out Group 2!) If you are on Facebook, check out the videos of the Preview Dance and of Risque Business. I'm in both! ;)

The last week on August, school started. I only have two on campus classes and two online classes. I never knew how awesome online classes were! I wish I would have found out sooner. Too bad there aren't any online Biology classes. I would have gotten my entire Biology degree online. In addition to school, I was preparing for several things to come in September!

July

I know. I haven't blogged in what it seems like years, but due to illness I have time to recap what has been going on in my life! First off, what do you think about my hair? This picture was taken at the beginning of June. Since then I have added maybe 3 more inches of hair. Slowly but surely. I can at least get it into a ponytail without having to use heavy duty gel. :)

July wasn't a very busy month for me. Most of the month consisted of working 40 hours a week at the Carnegie, which I didn't mind because I have a great job. I did have to work on July 4th, but that wasn't too bad. It was kinda slow at the hotel. Other than that I did get to work a little with Phi Sigma Pi and had a couple of booths during orientation. We will see how that turns out next semester (most of them were freshmen so they can't rush until next semester).

One thing that I was very honored to be a part of was I was a bridesmaid for one of my Brothers, Danielle Brewster. I helped with flowers and decorating the reception area. She was such a beautiful bride! I'm so glad that she invited me to share a part in her special day!

New Job ;)

Today was the first day at my new job, the Carnegie Hotel. I was hired last week. I get great hours and great pay. I love the job too! It is very similar to what I do at the health clinic for my scholarship job, except instead of patients, they are hotel guests.

I also took a tour of the hotel, and I must say it is absolutely beautiful. I highly recommend staying there, and I'm not just saying that because I work there. ;) We have some pretty great rates and packages. lol. Oh, I've gone into my little front desk associate bit. ;) Anyway, I just wanted to blog to let everyone know that I have started a new job and that I have a perfect first day!

Check out where I work at http://www.carnegiehotel.com

Tips for the International Traveler

Since Mom has gone into detail about our trip to Southeast Asia and there are plenty of pictures, many of which I have written captions for, I do not feel the need to write a blog for everyday that we have been out of the country. However, I do wish to blog about some things that I have learned or really been aware of along the trip. So, in this blog, you will find some tips, in no particular order, for anybody who plans to travel outside of the United States. Hope you enjoy.

1. Try not to be ethnocentric (Ethnocentric. Adj. characterized by or based on the attitude that one's own group is superior). You will learn a lot more and appreciate more when you have an open mind about the culture that you are visiting.

2. Research about where you are traveling. Know some basic information about the country you are visiting, for example, the type of currency, the type of government, the exchange rate, and special/interesting places to visit. If for some reason you do not have access to an Atlas or the Internet (which I doubt since you are reading this blog), ask someone. The more you know, the more you will appreciate some of the other information that you find along your vacation.

3. Be respectful. This goes back to doing a little research. For example, it is very acceptable and polite to shake the hand of a Filipino; however, it is uncomfortable for a Thai person to touch another person, especially foreigners. Simple things, such as a hand gesture or taking pictures of certain objects, may be offensive in a certain culture. Be sure to ask or find out what are the most common differences between the US and the country you are visiting.

4. If traveling to Southeast Asia, DO NOT rent a car. The traffic rules are very different. In fact, they are more like guidelines. Note: (specifically for Jesse K.) Asians drive extremely well. It is the Americans who have road rage, get in everyone’s way, and do not drive well.

5. If dealing with a foreign currency, bring a small calculator. It will help you with figuring out how much things are in US dollars.

6. Find out if bartering is acceptable in various places.

7. Either travel with a person who speaks the native language or get an English speaking tour guide. Often times it is easier to shop or order food outside of the hotel. You can also learn a lot more about the culture and the history of the country that you are visiting. Having a tour guide will also give you access to various venues/programs that are cheaper than those offered at the hotel.

8. Bring a journal. Jot down different facts about something you’ve learned. Write down locations that you wish you could have spent more time at. Write down various things you wished you would have purchased. Write down the places that you want to visit. Write down the dishes you liked. Write down anything you want. You never know when you are going to travel back to that country or what you will be asked when you get home.

9. Do not expect everyone to speak English. Speak clearly, not louder (just because they can’t understand you doesn’t mean they’re deaf), when speaking to someone who only has a limited knowledge of English. Note: A big smile often means that the individual has no idea what you are saying. ;)

10. Try different foods. In Bangkok, we saw many types of fruit that were very ugly fruit on the outside; however, they were very sweet on the inside. You never know what might taste good.

11. Also in regards to food, do not assume that you know what every dish tastes like. A picture of udon noodles in Bangkok may not have the same flavor as rice noodles in Manila.

12. Note: Just because a dish does not taste like it does in the US doesn’t mean that the dish is cooked wrong. In fact, what you have had before have probably been “Americanized”, even if it is cooked by someone from that country. (Example. All Chinese food restaurants in the US, even if prepared by a Chinese cook, have been modified to fit the American taste buds.)

13. Bring toilet paper. Not all bathrooms will have toilet paper, even in the malls and airports. Also in regards to bathrooms, bring a small bottle of hand sanitizer. Just think…if the water is not safe to drink and you wash your hands in that water and then eat, then what was the point?

14. Bring earplugs. This sounds like a really crazy idea, but when you don’t bring them, you will find yourself next to a screaming 5 month old because it is tired and hot and hungry, and you are tired and hot and hungry too and all you want to do is sleep, but you can’t thanks to the screaming baby. Trust me. It’s nice to have them handy just in case.

15. Be brave. Leave the hotel. Don’t spend time hanging out at the hotel pool if you are in the middle of the city. There are plenty of things to see outside the hotel.

16. If it is safe, go to the market. You can find many things at very cheap prices. You will also be able to find very unique items that make great souvenirs.

17. Do not talk American politics. Even though in the United State an Obama supporter can sit next to a McCain supporter in peace, it may not be that way in other countries. Be careful and respectful of what you say about American politics.

18. If you find a unique piece of clothing or different smelling perfume, buy it. It may be in style 6 months to a year later in the States. This is your time to be fashionable for much cheaper than you would find back at home.

19. Appreciate the things back home more. We take so much for granted. Take an opportunity to reflect on what we take for granted back home. It will make your vacation more regarding.

20. Be a tourist. Take pictures. Ask questions. Try new things. 9 times out of 10, the locals will know that you are visitor whether you act like it or not. Might as well get as much out of the experience as you can.

21. Lastly, have fun!

Well. That’s 21 tips from the 21-year-old. I have had a lot of fun traveling and it has truly been a blessed experience. I cannot wait to come back to the Philippines. I will probably write more about various aspect of my trip when I get back home. Have a wonderful week!!! ;)

Much love,

Jillian

A Simple Thanks Will Do

When is the last time you said thank you? I mean really think. When did you say thank you and honestly meant it? Or was the last time you said thank you was because you felt guilty? Did you say thank you because everyone else was doing it?

Over the course of the past semester I have, along with several others, worked hard. Poured my heart and soul into a lot of things. Some may think that I do things to make myself feel better. Some think that I do it to receive praise. Some think that I do things irrationally. But most of the time, I do things because I care, not about myself but about others. That may seem a little conceited, but it's true. I love helping people. I love making people smile and give people the opportunity to have fun. I grew up in a family who always planned fun things and always did things for my benefit, either for me to learn, to give to my community, or to bond with those that surrounded me.

However, there is one small part of my experience from this semester that aches my heart. I've seen hard work gone without a single thank you. I've seen people put their sweat and tears into planning things or doing things for others and yet they receive no gratitude whatsoever. I, myself, have experienced it. Have I heard thank you in the past few weeks? Yes, I have; however it is from those who don't have to say thank you because they show their gratitude. Remember, actions speak louder than words. I have also heard thank you from those who felt guilty about maybe hurting my feelings, which I don't truly find sincere.

Why am I writing this? Well, two reasons. First, I almost made a terrible mistake. I was very upset about some things and I had decided that I would step down as team captain for my Relay for Life team. I figured why plan something that I truly care about to get my heart broken by those who don't simply say thank you for anything, big or small. I had my mind made up. I told my closest friends and my mom. I was going to quit. Then, yesterday I received a beautiful letter than touched my heart and made me cry. It was from my wonderful grandmother. She thanked me and told me how proud she was of me for being a team captain in memory of Paw-Paw, my grandfather who died of cancer when I was 9. I realized that I was so upset that I lost sight of why I was relaying. Needless to say, I am still team captain of my Relay team. I have turned a new leaf and have found new excitement in planning Relay this year. I'm not going to let anyone stop me from having the best time and the best Relay for Life team.

Secondly, I am writing this to make people aware. I want to make people aware that a simple thanks will do. Just a thank you for making dinner. Thank you for worrying about me. Thank you for spending so much time trying to fix something that went wrong. Thank you for caring. Not a thank you because I screwed up and I feel like I have to say thanks. Not a thanks with a tone of a 5 year old telling their parents sorry for disobeying, but a thank you. If that's too much to say, then show it. Give someone a hug. Wash the dishes. Smile. Spend time with the one who you want to thank. Anything. Just remember, a simple thanks goes a long way.

To all who read this, thank you for taking time out of your day to read this. Thank you all who have truly appreciated me and thank you for being my driving force.

Valentine's Day

This post will be about how wonderful my Valentine's Day was. Ryan and I spent the whole day together. It was great. We got to sleep in and when we woke up we went to Ihop for brunch. It wasn't too crowded, which was nice. We spent about an hour just talking and eating. It was a very enjoyable breakfast/lunch.

After brunch, we headed over to Austin Springs Spa. We had a spa day, including a couple's massage! It was great. The ambiance was amazing. There were rose petals everywhere, and it was just a great relaxing environment. The staff was great too. They were so ready to make Valentine's Day so special for all of the couples there.

We spent a good three hours at the spa. After that, we went to Olive Garden, which was crazy!!! There were a ton of people there, but we decided to wait the hour and a half since we were craving Olive Garden for weeks. As soon as we got seated, the service was excellent. The food was awesome, and the company was as expected fabulous. We took our dessert to go and spent the rest of our evening just watching tv at the apartment.

This was a wonderful Valentine's Day. Ryan and I had been planning this for a while. It was our Christmas/Valentine's Day/6 year anniversary present to each other. Can you believe it? 6 years in less than a month! It was a great day to just stop and be with each other without having to worry about anything.

Well, that's all for right now! Blog later!

This Past Week

Well, as most schools, ETSU had a holiday on Monday due to MLK Day. Well, little did I know, but Tuesday, we got another day out of school due to...SNOW!!

When I woke up on Tuesday, there were at least 4 inches on the ground. The roads had been icy all weekend, so we all figured we would get out of school at least for that day. Later that morning, Elizabeth, Marc, and I went sledding down one of the hills at the apartment complex. After some sledding, Marc showed us how to make a real snowman, not some dinky one that would only be 6 inches talk. Our snowman was huge! It was taller than me! It is the biggest snowman ever. (See pictures on Elizabeth's Facebook. I'll put mine up sometime.) After playing in the snow, we had some coffee. It was nice.

Let's see. Yesterday was classes as normal. Nothing too terribly exciting. Yesterday afternoon Ryan, Courtney, and I went and put up the bulletin board and flyers for Phi Sigma Pi rush for next month. That was fun. I will stop there about the fraternity stuff because I will just get upset because, if you didn't read my last post go read it, problems have not been resolved and probably won't ever get resolved due to...nevermind. I need to stop.

On a much more productive and entertaining note, tonight Sara and Courtney should be coming over to watch Grey's and Private Practice. It should be pretty FUN! They, including Ryan, are at their Kaplan class right now while I'm taking care of Butch and trying to stay warm. It's been fairly nice because homework hasn't been too bad yet, which is fine with me! Tomorrow should be pretty uneventful as well, but I'm excited to see the weekend!

Hope everyone has a lovely rest of the week and weekend. I should blog sometime next week. ;)

I need some advice

When you read this, please leave a comment or e-mail me. Thank you.

Ok. Two days before the hardest semester I will ever encounter. Part of me is extremely excited and the other part is terrified, but I'm ready. I'm ready for the challenge.

This is not what I need advice about. It's something that could make this semester better or worse. Growing up, I learned that if there is something worth fighting for, then fight for it. I have kept doing that through my life, however, I have hit a serious road block that makes me want to quit fighting. Now before some of you jump to the conclusion that it is in regards to medical school, have no fear. My dream has not changed. It's actually incredibly small and superficial and yet it has been the hardest thing I have dealt with in the past six months.

As many of you know, I joined a National Co-Ed Honor Fraternity. It has truly changed my life. I have very close friends who I met through the brotherhood. I am more involved in activities and I enjoy classes more because I have study buddies who happen to be my brothers. However, last semester a major conflict rocked our chapter's world. Honestly, nothing has changed. There is a particular individual who has personally attacked me and I feel like I should not verbally respond in fear that I might say something that shouldn't be said. (If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.) That's all I will say about the extent of the issue since it is a personal issue between brothers.

Over the break, the issue was dropped, until 2 days ago. I am stuck between a rock and a hard place. I feel as though I should stand up for myself since I, as well as several others, have been wronged, but I also feel as though I just want to quit. I have more important things in my life that require my attention. I've invested too much time to quit the fraternity, but the lack of accountability and support from other brothers have made me wonder if it is really worth it. I'm just having a hard time. What do I do? Do I fight? Do I risk saying something that shouldn't be said? Do I end up losing the friendship I have with some of the brothers that have become some of my closest friends? Or do I forget it entirely? Move on? Quit? I don't know.

I know, this is a childish, superficial post, but really that is all the argument is. I don't feel as though I did anything wrong. No, I know I didn't do anything wrong. You know when you're little and you do something that you weren't supposed to do, but you told your parents that you didn't do it, but deep down you feel guilty because you know it was wrong. Yea, it's not like that. I don't feel guilt for anything I've said or done. So why is this so hard? I don't know. Just leave a comment and give me a little advice as to what to do. What has worked for you if you have been in this situation? What would you do if you were in my situation? Now's the time I need advice that Yoda would give Luke Skywalker or Mr. Miyagi give to his Karate Kid. Seriously. Please comment.

Christmas!

First, I would like to wish everyone a Happy Holidays!

This Christmas has been great. On Christmas Eve, we opened presents as tradition. Ate Jean was able to join us too that evening. Ryan and Butch also stopped by to change gifts. Christie and I got several things. One surprise gift that I got was a GPS. It will definitely be useful in these upcoming months with various trips. Probably the biggest surprise of all of Christie and my presents was the spa day that Mom and Dad gave us. Mom decided to wrap the reservation slip in a box filled with macaroni in order to throw us off. Today was the day that we went and got a girls spa day. We each got a hydrotherapy session, 1 hour massage, and a wonderful pedicure! It was probably the best massage that I have ever had. I will definitely sleep well tonight. I also got several things that I had on my wish list. I put a few board games so I could bring them back to Johnson City to play with my fraternity Brothers. Out of the three games that I got, it looks like Smart Ass is going to be the most fun. I can't wait to play it with Ryan, Elizabeth, Sara, Courtney, Megan, and Jarrod. It's a great game!

On Christmas day, we went over to Grandmama's just as tradition to open gifts. We got a lot of gift cards. We will be going shopping tomorrow to use some of them. One of the gifts that I about immediately put on that Uncle Wayne gave me was a Seattle Grace Surgery Team sweatshirt (Grey's Anatomy for those who don't get the Seattle Grace reference). I also got a couple of Grey's shirts from Christie. I will be set for January 8!!!

Well, I just wanted to update a little. Tomorrow will be jam packed just like Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and today. We are going to eat breakfast at Panera, go to church, probably eat lunch, go shopping, and as one of Daddy's Christmas gifts we will see the Tale of Despereaux sometime during the day.

Hope everyone has a great day tomorrow!

P.S. For those who like pictures, you will have to go to my mom's blog and shutterfly. I've been slacking this year on pictures. ;)

Home Sweet Home

I am home! It is my second full day home. Ryan and I left Sunday night after he got off work at 6 to come home a day earlier than planned. It was very nice. I actually stayed awake the whole drive! That's crazy.

It's been nice to be at home. Yesterday, Christie and I spent the whole day together. We watched some tv and then she went to a yearbook signing at school. Once she came back, we went to the pet store to buy another tank for her beta (well, her friend's beta that she is taking care of and is paying her back). She also got a present for Butch! ;) We then went to Providence to buy some last minute gifts. After shopping we came home, wrapped gifts, ate dinner, and watched a movie called The Women. It is a definite rent for all females! It's a mix between First Wives Club and Sex and the City. It was awesome!

Today, I will be spending some time with my daddy and later on with Christie and Mom. This afternoon Christie and I will be spending time shopping (more window shopping today than yesterday) at Opry Mills. Mom and Uncle Wayne will meet us there to go watch Titans Live (?? I think that's the name). It's going to be a fun filled day!

Well, that's all for right now. Everyone have a great day before Christmas Eve!

P.S. I'm hoping to see my brothers (not in reference to my brothers of PSP), Zack and Alex, sometime this break. Hint, hint, nudge, nudge. ;)

Christmas Shopping in Johnson City

Hello all!

I just got back from another trip of Christmas shopping. I love Christmas shopping. It's so much fun. I don't like shopping on Black Friday, but I do like shopping for Christmas gifts.

However, shopping in Johnson City is not the same a shopping at home. At home, I can spend hours at one mall with Christie and/or Mom and Dad just looking. It's so much fun. Yea, sometimes it's crowded, but it's great! There are tons of stores for a variety of things. Making a wish list to have on Grandmama's fridge on Thanksgiving day is not hard when there are so many options from so many stores.

This year, I have found it fairly hard to do both. I just got back to my apartment from the Johnson City mall. I have gotten a few things for my family. Dad is the hardest to buy for, as always, but here it's nearly impossible. I left at 6 and I'm already back at 7. Here's my experience. Well, I'm by myself because Ryan is working and everyone else is at home (not in Johnson City). I went to the mall to buy my Dad's Christmas gift and maybe find something else to give to my sister. If you have ever been to Johnson City, you will notice that the mall is just one step up from Harding Mall (in Nashville). It's nothing compared to Cool Springs or Opry Mills. First, parking was a nightmare. I tried using my Mom's technique of following someone out of the store to take their spot, however, the old woman decided not to leave until I drove down another lane! I had to park very far away, but I was ok.

When I went into the mall, it was like a football game just got out. The Johnson City mall is the high school hang out of the entire town. I understand that going to the mall with friends to shop and maybe hang out in th food court is fun, I mean I did it, but these high school kids are something else. First, the outfits, craziness. Call me an old fogie, but mini skirts and Uggs are not fashionable, especially not in winter time! It's not cute. Put some clothes on. Second, they congregate in the middle of the walk way. MOVE!! Then they roll their eyes when someone says excuse me. Eh. I know I'm ranting. Ok, back on track. I went to buy the gift that I knew I was getting Dad. Finding another gift for Christie was impossible. She doesn't need a scarf in Florida. She doesn't need another sweater. She doesn't need any teenie bopper anything! So around 6:45, I gave up and drove back to my apartment.

It's not the same as home. I would have spent all day shopping if I were at home, but not here in Johnson City. I guess I'm just ready to be home. I'm going to be going back to Nashville on Monday. I can't wait. Three more days!

Well, anyway, just needed to write a little bit. Hope everyone is doing great!

Kinda Bored

Hello world!

It's blogging time. I am currently sitting here in my apartment by myself, sick, and eating a popsicle to soothe my sore throat. School is over, YAY, and there weren't any shifts to pick up at the hospital, at least on my floor anyway. All week I will be just sitting here. I could clean, but I don't want to. lol. I've done a few things for PSP for next semester, but there's not much that I can do until the school year starts.

Ryan and Elizabeth are at work. Marc is travelling to Ohio today. Most of my brothers are going back to their homes. Boredom. Ok, poll time. What do you do when you're bored? I know. This is a really random post, but I'm kinda in a random mood. ;) Oh, it also sucks that Grey's Anatomy doesn't come on until January! Not fair! At least I still have House and Private Practice.

Well, enough rambling for now. I'm going to get another popsicle. Maybe later today or tomorrow I will post a more focused, interesting blog. ;)

Have an awesome day!

Finally

Finally I have a minute to blog. I have been so extremely busy since the last time I blogged. I don't really know where to begin really.

School has been going well. I got an A on that speech that I was talking about and a B on that Micro test. I just got my paper for History of Ancient Greece, with the help of the my friend Jesse, (60% of my grade) and got an A on it! Don't have to rewrite it, thank goodness. I'm currently working on a few papers as well as one last speech. Finals are in about 3 weeks. I have already signed up for my classes for next semester. I'm taking Physics II (and it's lab), Evolution (for my Biology major, not by choice!), Ancient Religions with the magnificent Dr. Burgess, and Eastern Religions. I am just about finished with my minor, and I am a few classes from finishing my major. Next semester will be the least amount of hours that I've ever taken, and I'm so excited about it!

Extracurriculars. Fun, fun! Well, first, I would like to say that Ryan and I had a good start to the 6:30 AM workout routine (until I got sick again). We hope to continue this when my health problems get back to normal. Also, I participated in the intramural volleyball team for Phi Sigma Pi and had a blast! I didn't get to play in the last two games because of the ER visit, but I still had fun through the first part of the season. Speaking of Phi Sigma Pi, well...I have had my ups and downs with the fraternity. One thing that I have loved is getting closer to two particular brothers, Sara and Courtney. We have had so much fun shopping, eating, working out, hanging out, playing Apples to Apples, watching Grey's, fighting with the rest of the brothers, etc. Induction of the Alpha class is next Monday. I am proud to say that Ryan and my little brother, Mary, will be inducted on that day! I'm so excited for them!!!!! You guys know how proud I am of Ryan, but I would like to speak about my little first. Mary has been awesome. She made above a perfect score (she got the bonus question right too) on the National Exam. She helped our team win in the Big/Little Bonding events. Mary has just been awesome and I'm so happy for her. Ryan is the president of Alpha class and has been great at it. I've seen leadership qualities that I haven't seen before in him. He is very well liked among the brothers and he has attended all meetings since he was pinned as a initiate. I'm very proud of him as well.

Lastly, my health. I have had a couple of ER visits since the last post. You can read the details on my mom's blog. They have been kinda scary, but I have been in good hands during both times. I would like to especially thank Ryan, Elizabeth, and Courtney for helping me out last Sunday morning at Starbucks. I have a couple of diagnostic tests next week to maybe help figure out what's going on. Hopefully something is found out soon. I just started work again after a month, until last Sunday.

I am just happy to be home. Ryan brought me home yesterday. I had just been in bed ever since Sunday morning, with the exception of one lab and two fraternity meetings, so Mom wanted me to just go ahead and come home, which I was very glad to do. I slept most of the way home, as usual. Today, I've been out a couple of times with Mom and have been working on a couple of school projects due next week. Christie comes in at 7 tonight. I can't wait to see her. We have so much to catch up on.

Well, that's it for now. I'm sure I'll have another time to blog, but ya never know with me. ;)

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Sorry!

Ok. So I was doing a lot better at keeping this thing updated, until this month. I think the March and October are my busiest months of the year!

Short update (since I have class in about 30 minutes).

Basically, with all of the medical drama going on with me, I've been playing catch up in classes. I'm doing fine though. I just finished taking a Micro exam, which was much easier than I thought it would be. I'm about to go give a speech for one of my classes. I'm not really nervous; I'm just worried that I might run over time. I mean come on. 4-6 minutes for an informative speech? That's it! I could talk about my topic for hours! Thank goodness it's not about Grey's because I would soooo take the whole class period.

Other than classes, I've been working a lot on Phi Sigma Pi stuff. We have our initiate class. I have two little brothers, Carrie and Mary. I'm having so much fun. Elizabeth and I worked on our first newsletter and it took a lot of work, but it was a lot of fun. I should work on the next issue that I would like to publish on Monday, but I don't know how realistic that goal is. ;) Another fun Phi Sigma Pi thing was mudball yesterday! Homecoming is this week, so Phi Sigma Pi is participating in various ways for the first time at ETSU! Yesterday I played mudball (volleyball in the mud) with 4 other brothers and Courtney's brother (her biological one). Now I know some of you are probably thinking that I'm crazy for playing mudball, especially with all the medical problems I have, but I have always wanted to play, and by golly nothing was going to stop me! ;) It was so much fun. Elizabeth, the designated photographer, should have some pictures up soon.

Really, that's all that's been going on. I've been taking a Kaplan class for my MCAT and making a schedule for next semester (with only 13 hours!!!! the lowest amount of hours I've ever taken). I'm getting really nervous about this whole medical school application process. Keep me in your thoughts and prayers.

Well...I can't really think of anything else to update on. Oh fall break! I'll save that for my next post. ;) But, for a preview, look at my mommy's blog for her version of fall break.

Blog later!

Hectic Health Week

Hello world!

Ok. Many of you know that this week has been horrible in terms of health. At the beginning of the month, I had some problems with my heart and respiratory rate at work. I got off work early and went to an urgent care clinic. I was then referred to a doctor. The doctor told me that he wanted to monitor my heart, so he put me on a 30-day event monitor. Every time I had an episode I could press a button and it would record my heart rate that could be sent to the doctor.

Last Sunday, I was at work and was doing fine. Around 3, I started feeling a little dizzy. After cleaning a patient (around 3:30), I decided to press the heart monitor button and send it to the doctor. I was sitting down as I did this. I was very dizzy and had a hard time breathing. Instead of gettting back to work after sending my heart reading, I continued to sit on one of those doctor's rolling stools. My co-worker, Jessi, kept walking by making sure I didn't need anything. Around 4, she told me to call Ryan because I was extremely flushed and she was worried about me. She also wanted to roll me to the nurses' station so the clerical could keep an eye on me until Ryan got to the hospital. Jessi continued down the hall to finish my vitals that I have not gotten for 4 o'clock and sent a nurse to come check on me. The nurse tried to roll me to the nurses' station when I passed out in her arms. They immediately called rapid responders and took my vitals. My BP was 150/98, heart rate 110, blood sugar 90, sat rate lower 90s, and respiratory rate was up in the 40s. Once rapid responders got there, they put me on oxygen (they had to, I mean I was working on the pulmonary floor of the hospital) and go me on a stretcher. They took me to the ER. When I got there, they cut my scrub top (including the wires to my event monitor), got an EKG, and got several vials of blood.

What was really nerve racking for me was the fact that Ryan was on the way and had no idea what had just happen. I knew the nurse had called my mom and probably said something completely ridiculous. And in the back of my mind was what were the patients and patients' families thinking when they saw their caregiver rushed off of the floor after a code had been called.

Apparently, the nurse had told my mom over the phone that I was "non-reponsive and that they were working on me". The reaction was Mom and Dad rushing to Johnson City in record time (for them) and Mom calling just about everyone. I knew that this would happen. The correct thing to say was that I was no really in any condition to talk, but that I was ok and Ryan was on the way to the hospital.

After a few hours, the doctor came in and diagnosed me with vertigo. I was discharged shortly after that. Once I got home, I laid on the couch until Mom and Dad got there. The repeated joke was "If you wanted us to come and visit you, all you had to do was ask! You didn't have to go to the ER!" ;) It was nice to see them.

This past week, I have seen my PCP and he has set me up for a tilt-table test to see if it is truly inner-ear that I am dealing with. Also, I saw him a second time this week. I currently am dealing with walking pneumonia. So, this past week has been sitting on the couch, trying to stay caught up with my classes, and sleeping.

I know this is a long post and I'm kinda being a Debbie Downer, but I wanted to blog to let everyone know what the situation was and that I am ok, just sick. Thank you for all of the prayers! Keep praying. Hopefully I will be back with a better update.

Stay healthy!

The past two weeks...

I have a day off today (well, I don't have any classes), so I am writing a blog since my mom seems to be keeping up with hers better than I have and she's had it for maybe a week. lol.

The past two weeks have been great! I've been pretty tired, but they have been good weeks. The week before school started I was doing Preview stuff. (For those of you who don't know what Preview is, it is a weekend event for incoming freshman to get to know the campus and students a little bit more before their first day of classes.) Monday started training. Thursday was the first day of Preview. I had so much fun at both the training and Preview. I had an awesome co-leader, Shawn Stewart!, and a great group of students. It was a lot of fun. Shawn and I dressed up at a blue and gold Thing 1 and Thing 2. We had so much fun! Some of my favorite events (as a whole group) were Jeff Dye's act and the hypnotist. Jeff Dye was pretty funny. He had a lot of great jokes. The hypnotist was great as usual. I was so close to being completely hypnotized. Apparently, I was out for a while. I was sitting in my chair and when I opened my eyes everyone was staring at me. I was like, "oh no. What did I just do?" Everyone told me that he had asked those that were hypnotized to raise their arm up and supposedly my arm shot up. My Co was so scared. lol. He was sitting next to me, but when I opened my eyes, he was about five seats down. ;) The whole event was so much fun! Oh and Shawn got Mr. Preview 2008. I was very lucky to have such a great co-leader and group my first year. I have pictures posted on my College Shutterfly if you want to see. I can't wait to do it again next year. Wednesday is going to be our Preview group reunion. I should have another post and pictures up. ;)















The first week of school was pretty nice. I have it scheduled so I only have classes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. I work at my APS job on those mornings and on Thursday mornings. It's a little bit difficult because I do not have a break in between my classes, so i always have to eat on the run or just run to class. I'm enjoying all of my classes, except for Public Speaking. I guess I've had so much experience holding group meetings and such that this class bores me to no end! It also doesn't help that our professor is a grad student who teaches us like we are in elementary school. Oh well. My favorite classes so far are my history classes (Ancient Greece and Christianity) with Dr. Burgess. He is such an awesome teacher. Yes, I'm a loser, and bought all of the books because he has made me interested in both topics. I actually pretty excited about the papers due in those classes.

This week is going to be pretty busy. I have some work stuff (mandatory staff meeting) and club stuff to do. Also, Skye, our regional consultant for our chapter of Phi Sigma Pi, is staying with Elizabeth and I for the week, so I really should be cleaning now, to visit our chapter. I am so excited about Rush in about 2 weeks! ;)

Three random things:
1.) Went to the rheumatologist last week. He believes that I am doing well. There haven't been any problems recently (except for one finger that has been giving me problems, but he is just keeping an eye on it). He's really a great doctor. I felt like he truly cared about me as a patient. Hopefully I can wean myself off of my medicine soon.

2.) Work is boring. ;)

3.) I'm going back on my diet again. This past summer was pretty much junk food city. I excited though. I started on Sunday. If I can get through these next two weeks, Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet, then I will be set! I have also gotten a plan for working out at the CPA doing yoga, "Girls Night Out", and boxing again. I'm pretty excited.

I guess that is it for right now. Hope everyone has a great week!

Several Announcements!

I'm trying to be good by updating weekly. Sometimes that happens, sometimes it doesn't.

My first announcement is that I have uploaded pictures of my apartment on my "College Life" shutterfly page for all of those who haven't seen my apartment.

Second announcement:
We have a "community dog" as my roommate would call it. Ryan adopted a dog from the shelter a few weeks ago. His name is Butch. He is a terrier mix, and we think that he has rottweiler in him because of his markings and stance. He is very sweet and is a very good dog. He only barks when he misses us, he doesn't jump on any furniture other than what he is allowed on, and he is house trained. Butch has made our lives a little less stressful. I'm glad we got him.


Third Announcement:
I have completed my summer classes! I took Organic II lecture and lab over the summer because I was so ready to be finished with chemistry once and for all (except for the MCAT of course). I am happy to say that I got a B in lecture and an A in lab! I am so excited. Hopefully I'll remember all of this information for the MCAT next semester.

Fourth Announcement:
Elizabeth and I went to Nashville for our Phi Sigma Pi National Convention where we received our charter for our new chapter, Epsilon Xi! It was great to come home and to meet new Brothers from across the nation. We have a lot of ideas to bring back to our chapter. Ever since we got back to Johnson City, we have been preparing for an unofficial meeting and setting up various things. We are very excited to start the new semester.

That's all I have right now. There's a quick update of what has been going on lately. Blog hopefully next week!